Electric watch mechanism



Feb. 20, 1962 G. VARGA ELECTRIC WATCH MECHANISM Filed March 9, 1959INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,021,665 :ELECTRICWATCHMECHANISM Gyula Varga, 314 Locust Drive, 'Plioenixville, Pa. FiledMar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 798,086 3 Claims. (Cl. 58-28) This inventionrelates to electric watch mechanisms and more particularly to a watchmechanism which is operated by a battery.

It has heretofore been proposed to apply the force from an electromagnetdirectly on the balance wheel of a watch to provide the driving forcerequired for proper time keeping. This however introduces variouscomplications, including excessive consumption of electrical energy,excessive friction of the balance Wheel shaft, and difficulty ofaccurate adjustment.

Other electrically operated mechanisms for watches have been proposedbut they are of excessive size or have other objectionablecharacteristics.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide anelectric watch mechanism which is simple in construction, has a minimumof space requirements, and has a minimum of power requirements.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electricwatch mechanism in which the balance wheel acts as a pendulum suspendedon a hair spring, and the pallet is electromagnetically actuated intimed relation to impart an impulse to a roller pin on a roller on thebalance wheel arbor.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electricwatch mechanism having an electromagnetic drive which is energized intimed relation in a simple but effective manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electricwatch mechanism having an intermittently operated electromagnetic drivein which the contacts for controlling the energizing of theelectromagnet are arranged in a simple but effective manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electricwatch mechanism which can be readily repaired, if required, by awatchmaker without the necessity for employing complicated instruments.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electricwatch mechanism of high precision as to timekeeping and which can bereadily set as required.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description andclaims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a portion of an electric watchmechanism in accordance with the present invention, part of the balancewheel and balance spring being broken away to show the details ofconstruction, and the structure being shown greatly enlarged;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the structure shownin FIG. 1, parts being broken away in the interest of clarity; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, enlarged, of one end of thepallet and illustrating the details of construction of a preferred formof electrical contact mounted thereon.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a balance wheel of awatch mechanism is illustrated,

carried on a balance wheel arbor 11. The arbor 11 can be supported atone end in a bearing 12 carried by a portion of the frame 14 and at theother end in a bearing 13 carried in another portion of the frame 14 onwhich a regulator 15 is pivotally mounted. The balance wheel 10 canserve as a pendulum in a-well known manner.

The arbor 11 has a ring 11' thereon of well known type to one end ofwhich a balance wheel spiral hair spring 17 is connected, the other endof the hair spring 1.7 being adjustably held by a hair spring stud '18carried on the frame 14. A roller 16 is provided on the arbor l1 andcarries a roller pin 19.

A pallet 2c is provided, having a mounting spindle 21 carried inbearings 22 and 23. The spindle 21, or the bearings 22 and 23, or both,can be made of non-electrical conductive material. Spaced stop pins 24and 25, of non-electrical conductive material, are provided for limitingthe extent of pivotal movement of the pallet 20. A pallet spring 26 canbe provided secured at one end to the pallet 20 and at the other endto'the stop pin '25 'for urging the pallet 20 towards a neutral orintermediate position, but permitting overriding in either direction.

The pallet 20, at its outer end is provided with a core piece orarmature 27, preferably-arcuate in shape, which extends into a hollowcoil 28 of an electromagnet.

The pallet 2%, at its inner end has an offset end or'half fork 30,preferably of electrical insulating material which is wear resistant,such as nylon, phenol formaldehyde resin, or the like, for actuatingengagement with the roller pin 19.

A contact carrying member 31 is provided, of resilient material such asspring steel, and is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 32 on a bracketarm 33 on the pallet 29. The contact carrying arm 31 has an extension 34with which a spring 35 is in engagement. The spring 35" is held on thepallet 20 by mounting pins 36. A stop screw 34' is provided forpositioning the extension 34.

The contact carrying arm 31 has an insulating covering 38 on the outsideface remote from the roller pin 19 as shown in FIG. 3 and a contact face37 on the inside face for establishing an electrical contact, ashereinafter explained.-

The electrical circuit is illustrated diagrammatically on FIG. 2 andincludes an electric battery 40 of small size and of a type nowavailable as a source of electric energy and a conductor 41 extendingtherefrom to the frame 14 to energize the roller pin 19 through thespring 17, the balance wheel 10 and the roller 16. The pallet 20, otherthan its insulated half fork 30, can serve as a portion of a conductingcircuit, the pallet spring 26 being electrically connected thereto. Aconductor 42 extends from the spring 26 to one terminal of theelectromagnet coil 28, the other terminal of the coil 28 being connectedby a conductor 43 to the battery 40.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

Upon energization of the electromagnet coil 28, the armature 27 is drawnthereinto. The movement thus imparted to the pallet 20, against therestoring force of the pallet spring 26 is effective for providing animpulse of the half fork 30 against the roller pin 19 to rotate thebalance wheel 10 in a clockwise direction, in opposition to therestoring force of the balance wheel spring 17. The roller pin 19, uponcounterclockwise movement of the balance wheel 10, moves past the end ofthe contact carrying arm 31 which swings on its pivot pin 32 to permitsuch movement but by reason of its insulated face 38 does not at thistime set up a circuit through the arm 31.

The balance wheel 10, after movement in a counterclockwise direction,then moves in a clockwise direction and in so doing engages the contactface 37 to establish an activating circuit for the coil 28. Uponenergization of the coil 28, the armature 27 is moved, as previouslypointed out, so that the pallet 26 can, through the half fork 30, impartan impulse to the roller pin 19.

The arm 31, by reason of its elasticity, permits relative movement ofthe roller pin 19 towards and away from the half fork 30 withoutinterposing any substantial 'obstruction, but permits of and providesfor establishing a coil energizing contact for a short time interval butsufiicient for an actuating impulse to be imparted to the balance wheel10. The short time interval of energization of the coil 28 reduces thedrain on the battery 40.

The power take off can be of any type, utilizing the pallet movement,the armature movement, the balance wheel movement, or the forceavailable in the coil 28.

I claim:

1. An electric watch mechanism comprising a frame, a balance wheelpivotally mounted in said frame, a balance spring connected to saidbalance wheel and to said frame, a roller pin movable with said balancewheel, a pallet pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said frame,one end of said pallet having an armature thereon, an electromagneticcoil for actuating said armature to move said pallet in a predetermineddirection, a resilient memher connected to said pallet and continuouslyurging said pallet toward a predetermined position and in opposition tothe force exerted by said coil, the other end of said pallet having arigid impulse input half fork portion extending therefrom for engagementwith a face of said pin upon movement of said pallet in a predetermineddirection by said coil, said other end of said pallet having a flexiblecontact arm pivotaily mounted thereon with a part thereof on one side ofits pivotal mounting disposed in spaced parallel relation to said halffork portion, said contact arm having a contact face portion on one sidethereof for contact with said roller pin in one position of said palletand an electrical insulating portion on the other face thereof forcontact by said roller pin in another position of said pallet, andcircuit connections for energization of said coil including said balancespring, said balance wheel, said roller pin and said contact faceportion of said contact arm.

2. An electric watch mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which said halffork portion is of electrical insulating material.

3. An electric watch mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which saidcontact arm on the other side of its pivotal mounting has a positioningspring in engagement therewith permitting flexing of said contact memberfor movement of said roller pin past said contact arm in eitherdirection.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS345,292 Fenner July 13, 1886 FOREIGN PATENTS 285,800 Great Britain Sept.13, 1928 301,024 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1954

